Woven foldable catheter

Abstract

Apparatus, consisting of a catheter having a distal end and a predefined outer diameter. The apparatus also has a plurality of elastic filaments, each filament having at least one electrode fixed thereto and having two ends fixed within the catheter distal end to hold the filament as a loop. The loop intertwines with one or more other loops of the other filaments so that the plurality of the filaments forms an open lattice, which expands when uncompressed to a lattice diameter at least 5 times greater than the outer diameter of the catheter.

We claim: 
     
         1 . Apparatus, comprising:
 a catheter having a distal end and a predefined outer diameter; and   a plurality of elastic filaments, each filament having at least one electrode fixed thereto and having two ends fixed within the catheter distal end to hold the filament as a loop, which intertwines with one or more other loops of the other filaments so that the plurality of the filaments forms an open lattice, which expands when uncompressed to a lattice diameter at least five times greater than the outer diameter of the catheter.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the open lattice compresses to fit within a cylinder having a diameter equal to the predefined outer diameter of the catheter. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the open lattice when uncompressed is sized to be enclosed by a virtual spherical envelope. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the open lattice when uncompressed is sized to be enclosed by a virtual open conical envelope. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the open lattice when uncompressed comprises open spaces between the intertwined filaments, and wherein a ratio of a first total area defined by the open spaces and a second total area defined by the filaments is at least 5:1. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein each elastic filament comprises a tube having a lumen, and wherein the at least one electrode is attached to a conductive wire traversing the lumen. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the lattice diameter comprises a largest distance between selected sections of the plurality of elastic filaments. 
     
     
         8 . A method, comprising:
 providing a catheter with a distal end and a predefined outer diameter; and   fixing a plurality of elastic filaments within the catheter distal end, each filament having at least one electrode fixed thereto and having two ends fixed within the catheter distal end to hold the filament as a loop, wherein the loop intertwines with one or more other loops of the other filaments so that the plurality of the filaments forms an open lattice, and wherein the open lattice expands when uncompressed to a lattice diameter at least five times greater than the outer diameter of the catheter.   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the open lattice compresses to fit within a cylinder having a diameter equal to the predefined outer diameter of the catheter. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the open lattice when uncompressed is sized to be enclosed by a virtual spherical envelope. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the open lattice when uncompressed is sized to be enclosed by a virtual open conical envelope. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the open lattice when uncompressed comprises open spaces between the intertwined filaments, and wherein a ratio of a first total area defined by the open spaces and a second total area defined by the filaments is at least 5:1. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein each elastic filament comprises a tube having a lumen, and wherein the at least one electrode is attached to a conductive wire traversing the lumen. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the lattice diameter comprises a largest distance between selected sections of the plurality of elastic filaments.